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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Now......GMO sweet corn

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  • From: Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Now......GMO sweet corn
  • Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:09:09 -0400

"Additionally, in the Rodale studies previously cited..."

I downloaded Rodale's "Full" FST Report and I have yet to see the data that
backs up their claim.

My experiences planting heirloom corn (Kruggs Yellow and Boone County white)
and beans (Black Turtle) on three acres or more is that the yields are far
less than conventional and much more highly prone to weather conditions,
mainly because of weed and cultivation issues. Once weeds get in your labor
requirements to get them out go through the roof and it becomes, in some
cases, more economical to simply plow them under. Keep in mind that I am
selling corn at 25-150.00/bu (based on milling the corn and selling between
.50 and 2.50 a pound). I know that amy sound ridiculous, but its true.
Translate current methods of growing corn these days. How do you hand
cultivate 6000 acres with an unskilled labor pool that demands 10.00 an hour
or more?

I will also argue that be it conventional or organic you will deplete your
soil resources. One simply does it faster than the other. The problem is
population. The math simply does not add. I have no idea what the solution
to that is nor do I want to play "Global Earth Lifeguard" but at some point
we will need to do so. The alternative is continued divide between the
"have" and the "have nots".






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